


The Terminal

by stormy_blue_skies



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang is a goofball, Airport AU, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hakodad, Katara is a little shit and I love her, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oneshot, Rated for language and dirty jokes, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Zukka fluff, dadkoda, idiots to lovers, in which zukka are oblivious idiots, zukka airport au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:55:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26073016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormy_blue_skies/pseuds/stormy_blue_skies
Summary: ~Sokka~I wasn’t planning on seeing that cute guy from my writing class at the airport. Not that I thought he was cute, or anything. But there he was, and it was just us wandering around the terminal for hours, waiting for delayed flights. What could go wrong?~Zuko~Fuck.Of course my flight had to be delayed. But at least I wasn’t completely alone. There was one guy, a gate over. I recognized him from my writing class at uni. He was always sitting in the front of class and cracking jokes. I’d always noticed him; it was hard not to. He had stunning blue eyes, rich brown skin, and dark hair tied up in a wolftail. I’d had a bit of a crush on him for a while, but nothing much.And now he was walking over to me.(Or, Sokka and Zuko are oblivious gay idiots for 5.2k words)
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Bato/Hakoda (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 29
Kudos: 213





	The Terminal

**Author's Note:**

> Just so you know, this is my fic for the Zukka Airport AU, created by Lizzie! Go check her out at @sokka-with-his-hair-down on Tumblr! She's absolutely amazing.

## ~Sokka~ 

I wasn’t planning on seeing that cute guy from my writing class at the airport. Not that I thought he was cute, or anything. But there he was, and it was just us wandering around the terminal for hours, waiting for delayed flights. What could go wrong?

His name was Zuko. I didn’t know him that well, didn’t know much about him, just that he sat on the left side of the classroom by the window, and always got an A in Mr. Piandao’s creative writing class. And I suppose he was cute, not that I cared. 

But now it was just us together. We were both flying out to see family for the holidays, and the weather was horrible. Most of the flights were either cancelled or delayed multiple hours. 

Wonderful.

My flight wasn’t supposed to be a long one, so that was a relief, but it was delayed _twelve hours._ Tui and La, that was a long delay. And there were only a few other people supposed to be on the flight. I would probably have the whole row to myself, which was awesome. And maybe I’d get extra snacks.

But the reality was, I was too broke to afford a hotel for the night, so I was going to be stuck in this airport terminal for a while. And apparently, so was Zuko. His flight had gotten delayed about as long as mine. At least I wouldn’t be alone. Maybe I could get to know the ~~extremely cute~~ guy from uni.

....

## ~Zuko~

Fuck.

Of course my flight _had_ to be delayed. Now I was going to be late to see Uncle... and Azula and Father. I was mostly visiting to see Uncle, though. Azula and Father couldn’t give a rat’s ass if I was there or not. But they were expecting me, so being late would be unacceptable. 

For fuck’s sake. 

I was the only one on the flight. Unsurprising, in my opinion. Not many people want to travel to FuckVille, Arizona - well, most people call it Scottsdale - for the holidays. Or if they did, they left before December 23. 

I don’t dislike the city, per se, I just have a personal vendetta because of my father. He’s... not the best. 

But at least I wasn’t completely alone. There was one guy, a gate over. I recognized him from my writing class at uni. He was always sitting in the front of class and cracking jokes. I’d always noticed him; it was hard not to. He had stunning blue eyes, rich brown skin, and dark hair tied up in a wolftail. I’d had a bit of a crush on him for a while, but nothing much. 

And now he was walking over to me. 

Well, if we were both going to be stuck in the airport for hours, we could at least get to know each other, right?

What’s the worst that could happen?

....

## ~Sokka~

I decided to walk over to Zuko. No point in spending twelve hours alone when you could make a friend, right?

“Hey,” I said with a smile. “Zuko, right?” Zuko nodded quietly. 

“I’m Sokka. Your flight delayed, too?”

He nodded again, letting his dark hair fall over the scar on his eye. 

“That sucks,” I replied, now nervous. Maybe he was being silent because he wanted me to leave. He’d never seemed very social.

“Eh,” Zuko said. “At least it’s a nice airport.” 

I nodded my agreement. 

“Anyway, I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out while we wait for our flights. No big deal if not, though. I know we don’t know each other that well.” 

Zuko was quiet for a minute, and I thought I’d messed up. I awkwardly turned around and started to walk back to my gate when I heard a gravelly voice speak up behind me. 

“Why not.” 

....

## ~Zuko~

Did I _really_ just agree to spend hours with the cute guy from my writing class? There was no way this would go over well. But I wasn’t about to take it back, so I sat up, channeled my acting skills, and smiled. It was an awkward smile, but a smile nonetheless.

Sokka’s eyes lit up, and oh shit. His smile. 

“Great!” he exclaimed excitedly. And I felt a real smile quirk at my mouth. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. I mean, it would at least distract me from the thought of going back to Father for the holidays. 

....

## ~Sokka~

I don’t know why I was that happy when Zuko agreed to hang out. But I was, and I was excited. I really wanted to get to know him. 

I wasn’t planning on having that much fun, either. 

We’d both slung our backpacks over our shoulders and wandered the terminal for hours on end, getting to know one another, cracking jokes, and dicking around in the gift shops. After a while, when we’d lost all sense of time due to the harsh lighting the airport _always_ had, we stopped at a coffee shop for a pick-me-up. I got a coffee, and it wasn’t half bad. Just your average airport coffee. Zuko admitted he was more of a tea person, so he got ginseng with honey. And I’d be lying if I said watching him wrinkle his nose and mutter about how ‘Uncle’s tea is better’ wasn’t absolutely adorable

Not that I noticed, or anything. 

After awhile, we were back at the gate cracking jokes again, when Zuko’s phone pinged with an email. He opened it, and I was surprised to see his face fall into a sullen frown. 

“Is everything alright?” I asked, placing a hand on his arm. He flinched at my touch and I immediately retracted. 

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have-” 

“No, it’s fine, I’m just... not used to it.” 

We both sat in silence for a while as he reread the short email. 

“My uncle isn’t able to make it for the holidays.” Zuko’s eyes looked away at the admission. 

“That’s a shame. Are you close?” 

“He was more of a father to me than my actual father. Honestly, he was the only reason I was even going. But now it’ll just be me, Father, and my sister.” 

“Please tell me if I’m overstepping, but do you not have a great relationship with them?”

Zuko sighed and looked away.

“You could say that.” 

I sensed that he didn’t want to talk about it, so I left it at that. 

“I’m here if you need to talk,” I told him. 

We sat there for a few more minutes before I decided to uplift the mood.

“There’s still a few gift shops we haven’t terrorized, wanna go?”

....

## ~Zuko~

I wasn’t planning on telling Sokka about my Tragic Backstory. But he was so kind, and easy to talk to, that I mentioned it. Honestly, that’s more than I’ve done for anyone else. 

I trusted Sokka. I wasn’t sure why, or how; after all, I’d only really known him for a few hours. But he was so genuine and kind and caring, I felt like I’d known him my whole life. 

I wanted to shut him out. I didn’t need another person to be able to betray me, to warp my trust. But I just couldn’t. He was amazing. (And it didn’t help that he was really cute.) 

Watching Sokka in the gift shops was endearing, to say the least. The way his eyes lit up when he found something that a family member would adore, the way his brow furrowed when he perused the snacks, it was so strangely comforting to see him just being _him._

We eventually made our way back to the gate, euphoric and jumpy. I had no idea what time it was; the constant lighting made time an illusion. Time isn’t real. Nothing is real. SoCal hoodies are half off. 

I opened my phone to see if I had any other notifications, when I saw the time.

4:28 am. 

We’d stayed up all night and into the morning hanging out and dicking around in an empty airport, and now it was Christmas Eve. 

I think the tiredness hit us as soon as we sat down. There were two terminal sofas across from each other, with a coffee table in between. Sokka and I decided to take a nap on the sofas, after spraying them down with sanitizer, of course. 

I was not prepared for how hot Sokka was with his hair down. 

It framed his sharp jaw beautifully, and the jagged edges gave his sapphire eyes an intensity that made me feel some kind of way. 

_Nope._

I laid down and hooked my bag around my ankle, promptly falling asleep.

....

## ~Sokka~

I’d never realized what Zuko must’ve gone through every day, thinking about his awful family. Well, his uncle seemed pretty cool. But I was so lucky to have such an amazing family. My dads, my ~~loveable asshole of a sibling~~ caring sister and her boyfriend and Gran Gran were all so amazing and kind. And I remember my mother was, too. 

I wished Zuko could’ve had that. 

Well... maybe he could. At least for the holidays.

Nothing to do right now, though, he was already asleep on the couch across from me. He looked so peaceful. The lines of tension melted off of his face, and his lips parted softly. 

I shoved those thoughts out of my head and hooked my bag around my leg, finally falling asleep. 

....

## ~Zuko~

I woke up before Sokka. I’d always been an early riser, and if Sokka’s habit of showing up to class late with starbucks was any indication, he was not. But he was really, _really_ adorable when he was asleep. His undercut hair was gently brushing his jaw, tan cheeks flushed, and his soft breathing was so soothing. I could’ve listened to it forever. I found myself wishing we wouldn’t have to leave for our flights. I just wanted to spend time with Sokka-

Oh. 

_Oh._

_Oh no._

....

## ~Sokka~

When I awoke, it was 10:15 am. I’d gotten a decent amount of sleep, thankfully. And Zuko seemed to have as well, judging by his absolutely fucking adorable bedhead. His shaggy, dark hair was sticking up in multiple directions and it had _curls._ It was so cute, and it looked so soft, I just wanted to run my fingers through it and talk to him and cuddle with him and...

Oh shit. 

....

## ~Zuko~

No.

No _fucking_ way. 

There is no way that I have a crush on Sokka.

_Not. Happening._

But of course it was happening, because I’m a dramatic, gay piece of shit. 

....

## ~Sokka~

shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit

Okay, so I _may have_ developed a teensy tiny crush on Zuko.

Or a big one. 

Fuck. 

Well, I certainly wasn’t going to act on it. Zuko had enough on his plate, and the odds of him liking me too were less than zero. I just had to ignore this. 

But there was something I still needed to do. 

Our flights were almost ready, finally. So I grabbed a sticky note and started scribbling something down. 

“Hey, Zuko?”

He turned to me. “Yeah?” 

“Again, tell me if I’m overstepping. But in case you don’t want to stay with your father, here.” I handed him the sticky note with my dads’ address. “My dads always told me that if a friend needed a place to stay, they were welcome at their place, and so I’m taking them up on it. Just in case,” I told him. 

Zuko stared at the sticky note for a moment, and for a second I thought he was going to laugh and tell me I didn’t need to. But then he looked up with tears in his eyes, his chin trembling, and a small smile curling on his lips. 

I inhaled to speak again, to tell him it was going to be okay, when the intercom spoke. 

“All passengers on flight 3688 to Scottsdale, please board.” 

Zuko looked over his shoulder to the gate, then back at me. 

And he pulled me into a hug. It was tight, but gentle, like he was trying to say thank you via hug. For a moment, my brain shorted out, and I didn’t move. But then, my arms clasped around him just as tight, and he stifled a sob into my shoulder. 

We stayed like that for nearly a minute before he had to leave.

The echo of his touch stayed on my arms long after he left. 

....

## ~Zuko~

The flight to Scottsdale was extremely short, more so than I thought it would be. I guess time flies with the planes. 

I couldn’t keep my mind off of Sokka. The way his hair framed his jaw when he pulled it out of his wolftail. The way he always wore sleeveless shirts because he was _always_ hot (in more ways than one). The way he walked so confidently when he was happy. His caring voice when he sensed a serious topic. 

If my mind wasn’t on Sokka, it was on my father. But strangely, Sokka’s presence in my mind overwhelmed my fear.

My brain was breaking. I was too far gone for this guy. So, I decided to take my mind off of him by watching an in-flight movie. They’d recently created a film adaptation of my favorite book, Love Amongst the Dragons, and it was only an hour long, so I figured it would be perfect.

....

## ~Sokka~

I had the flight almost to myself. The flight was only about an hour and a half, so I tried to take a nap. I hadn’t gotten enough sleep on that terminal sofa. 

I couldn’t sleep. Not when I closed my window, not when I put on my neck pillow, not even when I popped in my earbuds and played music. My mind always drifted to a certain dark-haired boy with a scar over his eye. 

I felt safe with Zuko, which was strange, because I didn’t feel unsafe away from him. But being around him gave me a sense of security. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know why. But the warmth of his spontaneous hug before departure was still tingling my arms and torso. 

Katara would’ve said I was brooding, pining, or angsting for the entire flight. But Katara isn’t here. I say, I was thoughtfully thinking about a certain guy. 

It’s a technical term. 

....

## ~Zuko~

Love Amongst the Dragons was absolute shit. 

The directors whitewashed the entire cast, glossed over major plot points, left out any humorous content, and _completely_ misunderstood the arc of the main character. I’m pretty sure a live reenaction from the Ember Island Theater would’ve been better, and that’s saying something.

When my flight landed, the hot Arizona air stifled me as soon as the doors opened. Even on Christmas Eve, the heat was inescapable. I didn’t hate it, but the lack of cloudcover was annoying. 

The taxi ride to my father’s house was apprehensive, dripping with suspense and fear. The pit in my stomach deepened, and I clutched at the sticky note in my palm. I took a deep breath before exiting the cab. 

“Would you wait for just a moment?” I asked the driver. He nodded, a curious look in his eyes. “I might end up going back to the airport. Sorry,” I added. 

“It’s cool, I’m just doing this for the money.” I nodded, making a mental note to tip extra if I ended up going back. 

I stepped up to the door quietly, reaching for the handle when I heard speaking. 

“Honestly, Father, why must Zuko be such a pathetic brother? He couldn’t even bother showing up on time.” Azula. My sister was never a kind person, and she was always Father’s favorite. 

“I completely agree, Azula. Your brother will face consequences for his actions. But for now, we can think.”

“Yes, Father.”

That settled it. 

I dashed back to the cab, hopping back into the backseat. 

“Could you please take me back to the airport?”

“You betcha.”

....

## ~Sokka~

The cab ride from the airport to my dads’ house was quick, and there were butterflies in my stomach the whole time. I hadn’t seen them in person in a long time, so I was so excited to see my family.

When I arrived, the sense of home washed over me. I could already smell peppermint, hear laughter from inside, and I could practically taste Gran Gran’s cookies. I pushed open the door. 

“I’m home!” I announced. 

“Sokka!!!” I’m not sure who said it, but it was probably a medley of different people. Katara rushed into the entryway first, her boyfriend Aang hot on her heels. Both of them strangled me in a hug. My dads, Hakoda and Bato, soon followed with grins on their faces. Gran Gran finally hobbled over. The group hug was so comforting. 

It was good to be home. 

After we’d all stuffed our faces with cookies, I pulled aside my dads. 

“We might have one more person coming,” I told them. “My friend, Zuko. He doesn’t have a great relationship with his family, so I told him he could join us if he needed. I hope that’s okay.” I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. 

“No problem,” Hakoda said. “Any time a friend of yours needs a place to stay, they’re more than welcome here.” I smiled gratefully, running to tell Katara, Aang, and Gran Gran. 

....

## ~Zuko~

I made it to the airport just in time to catch an outgoing flight to San Francisco. 

It was a small plane, and there were only a few other people on board, so I had the row to myself, which was a relief. I wasn’t keen on being up close and personal with other people while on a flight. 

I think I zoned out during the entire flight, just staring out the window at the passing clouds. Fluffy.

When the plane landed, though, that’s when it felt real. This could make or break my decision. Was I going to chicken out and fly back down to the university? Or was I going to go to Sokka’s house and spend my holiday with a friend? A friend who I may have a crush on? But no, we were Bros. Just Bros. 

Just bros being guys being dudes, amiright?

Without hesitating any longer, I hopped in a taxi and gave the driver the address.

....

## ~Sokka~

When the doorbell rang, I knew who it was. And when I stepped out of the front door to a familiar boy with dark hair and a scar over his eye, I wrapped him up in a hug and held him. 

He dropped his bag to the porch and hugged back, crying into my shoulder. A few tears leaked out of my eyes as well. 

“I had a feeling you’d come,” I whispered. Zuko nodded against my shoulder, and took a deep breath before sitting down on the porch steps. He clutched my hand in his and I didn’t pull away; he needed the support, ~~and he was holding my hand and I’m a bisexual disaster.~~

We sat in silence for a few minutes before finally walking inside and introducing Zuko to my family. He was still holding my hand. His eyes were red and puffy but dry now, and his legs were steady as he walked alongside me. 

Everyone was in the living room sipping cocoa and talking, but they all fell silent when we walked in. My dads gave us reassuring smiles, Katara smirked at our held hands, Aang gave a huge grin, and Gran Gran offered us cocoa. 

I loved my family.

“So, I told you guys about my friend, Zuko, right?” They all nodded. I glanced at the boy beside me, not letting go of his hand. He raised his free arm and waved awkwardly. 

“Hello. Zuko here.”

Holy shit, he was absolutely adorable. 

Everyone said hello and I introduced him to the others individually. 

“Zuko, these are my dads, Bato and Hakoda.” Zuko smiled. 

“Thank you for letting me stay here,” he said. 

“Don’t mention it,” Hakoda said with a wide smile. “Any friend of Sokka’s is a friend of mine.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Bato added. 

“You too,” Zuko said with a smile that could only be described as hopeful. My heart soared with his happiness. 

We walked over to my sister and Aang. 

“Nice to meet you, Zuko!” Aang said enthusiastically. “I’m Aang, Katara’s boyfriend.” Zuko shook his hand warmly, before turning to Katara. 

“And I’m Katara, Sokka’s brother.” She shook his hand as well, giving him a smirk. Zuko smiled too, not noticing the way Aang and Katara were looking at us with their eyebrows raised and grins rising on their faces. I ignored them. 

“Zuko, this is Gran Gran,” I said as we walked over to her, “Gran Gran, Zuko.” 

“Nice to meet you, dear,” Gran Gran said. “Call me Gran Gran.”

“Nice to meet you as well,” Zuko replied politely. Gran Gran smiled. 

“Would you like some cookies? We just finished frosting them. They’re on the counter.” 

“We’d love some,” I replied for him. Zuko followed me into the kitchen. 

“So?” I asked him. 

“Your family... they’re so nice. I didn’t expect half as much kindness from them,” he admitted. “But they’re amazing. I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” I told him. “We’re happy to have you.” 

....

## ~Zuko~

I was legitimately about to start crying. If Sokka hadn’t pulled me away in time, I might’ve actually started bawling because of the sheer kindness his family was showing me. Is that a bad sign? Or am I just a dramatic theater gay? Maybe both. 

The day went smoothly and happily. My father and sister didn’t cross my mind at all. Sokka and I hung out in the living room with everyone else, laughing, getting to know one another, and sharing stories. We probably drank gallons of cocoa, collectively. 

I loved this. 

We stayed up watching cheesy hallmark movies all night, laughing, and Gran Gran knitting away. Before we knew it, though, the sun was rising. It was Christmas.

Fatigue hit us like a brick and soon enough, we were all passed out on the couches. It was nice and warm under the festive blankets, and I was so comfortable that I fell asleep and didn’t dream at all.

\---------

When I awoke, I was so cozy that I didn’t want to move. I wanted to bundle into the blankets and lay there forever, surrounded by the warmth of a family who, in one day, was kinder to me than my own.

But, my eyes wouldn’t stay closed, so I peeked my eyes out of the blanket burrito I’d become wrapped in, leaving everything from my nose down hidden. People were slowly starting to wake up again; Sokka was sitting next to me with earbuds, scrolling through Tik Tok. Gran Gran was lazily knitting. Hakoda was eating a cookie, while Bato was fast asleep on top of him. Katara and Aang were cuddling and showing each other memes. 

This was what family was supposed to be. 

....

## ~Sokka~

Why did Zuko look so peaceful when he was asleep? Even when I could barely see his forehead because he was curled up in a blanket burrito, he looked so calm and relaxed. 

I was half paying attention to my FYP on Tik Tok, half glancing at the adorable guy next to me. 

Had I gone to the market to get Zuko a little Christmas gift while everyone was asleep?

Perhaps.

But was it going to be a surprise? 

Definitely.

\---------

After a while, it was time for gifts. 

We exchanged boxes and bags and poorly-wrapped lumps, the likes. They held little treasures like blankets, keychains, chocolate, or sweatshirts. But the look on Zuko’s face when I handed him his gift - albeit small - was priceless, and I wanted to bottle the pure joy and shock radiating off of him. When he opened the box with dao blade figurines inside (and a long letter signed off “love, Sokka,” as Katara pointed out with a shit-eating grin, as I gave her the finger), he held the small swords and then tackled me in a hug which I gladly returned, laughing. 

A chorus of “awww”s echoed from my dads and Gran Gran, meanwhile Aang and Katara were laughing gleefully and chanting “Sokka has a boyfriend, Sokka has a boyfriend!” Zuko pulled away, blushing furiously.

“Ignore them,” I told him, but it didn’t help that I was probably bright red as well. He smiled and nodded, then speaking.

“I actually have something for you too.”

....

## ~Zuko~

Sokka’s face when I told him I got him a gift was a mixture of shock, happiness, and nervousness, probably based off of Katara’s relentless teasing. 

I gently handed him the flat box, and as he opened the book on swordfighting techniques, I saw his eyes light up and he flipped through a few pages before my brief note fell out. It was really short, detailing my thanks for letting me stay with him for the holidays. Katara had a field day over the fact that it was signed off “<3 Z.”

“Thank you!” he exclaimed as he looked through the book more. I was so relieved he liked it. It was also pretty ironic that we both gave sword-related gifts. “Seriously, Zuko, I don’t know what to say.” I could feel a blush rising in my cheeks, but I did my best to force it down. I could feel Katara’s eyes on me, and I knew she was grinning. I had a feeling Aang was, too. But at the moment, I was too busy trying not to completely fall in love with Sokka. 

Y’know, like bros.

\---------

Later, we ate dinner. Bato made arctic cod, with what he called sea prunes. They were an acquired taste, but I didn’t dislike them. 

Afterwards, we watched more cheesy holiday movies, while under fleece blankets and drinking even more cocoa. 

I tried not to pay attention to the fact that Sokka and I were sharing a blanket and _very_ close together, but the subtle warmth of him right next to me was impossible to ignore. 

He snuggled closer to me, about halfway through the movie, when everyone else was paying too much attention to notice, and gently leaned his head on my shoulder. This was more kind touch in one day than I’d had in practically my entire life. 

“This is nice,” he whispered. 

“Yeah,” I breathed back. “I’ve never done anything like this before. The family dinners, the gifts, the movies... I love it.” 

“I’m so sorry this is so new to you. It’s a shame you never had something like this,” he said gently. “You’re welcome to join us next year.”

“Always,” a new, deep voice agreed. I jumped, but it was just Hakoda, on the chair next to the couch Sokka and I were on. He kept his voice low, so as not to disturb Bato, Katara, or Aang from the movie. 

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday,” he added. “Any time you’re not on campus, you’re welcome here. You need a safe place, and I am more than happy to offer that.” 

I didn’t realize I was crying until a tear fell from my cheek onto my hand, and I quickly wiped my eyes. 

“Plus, it’d be nice to have another guy around who isn’t always making out with my sister,” Sokka quipped, and I stifled a laugh. Hakoda did as well, but he played it off as a cough. 

“Thank you,” I whispered. It was barely audible, but I knew they heard it, because Hakoda patted my shoulder, and Sokka cuddled closer to me and kept watching the movie. 

Sokka’s hand brushed against mine as he did so, and I shivered and tried to control the butterflies in my stomach. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything. 

....

## ~Sokka~

The movie finally ended around one am, and everyone got up and stretched before deciding to go to bed. 

“You can crash in my room,” I offered Zuko. 

“Of course he can,” Katara teased, elbowing me in the ribs. I flailed my hand out to smack her. She just laughed. 

“Okay,” Zuko agreed. “I’ll meet you there. Where is it?” 

“Upstairs, first door on the left,” I instructed. He nodded, grabbed his bag, and walked up the stairs. I, on the other hand, walked into the kitchen after my dads and Gran Gran had left, and grabbed some cookies. 

Katara and Aang were cuddling on the couch, now. 

“Night,” I said. 

“Night,” Aang replied with a smile. 

“Use protection,” Katara added with a smirk. 

“sHUT UP KATARA!” 

\---------

Zuko and I ate cookies on my bed and looked at memes for hours.

The eggnog I smuggled up from the kitchen tasted a bit strange, but not bad, and it wasn’t spoiled, we’d just bought it the day before, so Zuko and I drank a ton of it. 

Soon we were lightheaded, and I was giggling at everything I saw.

....

## ~Zuko~

I wasn’t sure what it was, but the eggnog was _really good_ and Sokka and I were giggling like little girls. My head was so bubbly and I was a little loopy. 

Was I drunk?

Nah, it was just really good eggnog.

But everything was so happy, and soon I found myself flirting with Sokka.

“Sokka, y’know something, you have the prettiest eyes.” 

“What?” he slurred. I immediately sobered up a bit. 

“I, uh, well-”

“ _Thank you!_ You’re the best, Zuko.” 

I immediately gave a big, dopey grin. 

We kept derping about for who knows how long, before falling over on the bed. We were probably sobering up now; yep, it was _definitely_ spiked eggnog. But I was still a liiiiitle tipsy.

“Zuko, I think I like you.” 

My stomach dropped, and I tried to clear my head. 

“Huh?” was all I could coherently say.

“I think I like you,” he repeated. “Like, as more than a friend. Not that platonic love is lesser than romantic because _fuck_ those ideologies. But like, I like you in a crush sorta way. I think.”

What. 

Okay what the hell was I supposed to do now? Because I liked him too, I’d figured out that much. But I was awkward, and even when tipsy, I had anxiety.

“-But I know we only _really_ met a few days ago and we’re both probably high or some shit and you’re a really good friend, so I’m kinda just vibing.” 

“Sokka, can I kiss you?” The words were out before I knew I was saying them, and I clapped my hand over my mouth.

Sokka looked at me and blinked, before smiling and nodding. 

Before I knew it, I was leaning in. 

The kiss was sweet and chaste, and I smiled into it like the Lovestruck Turtleduck I am. It was warm, and soon we were both giggling and planting little kisses on each other until we fell asleep.

That night was one of the first nights where I felt safe, where I felt happy. Pressed up against Sokka, under a pile of blankets, probably drunk. 

This was safe.

This was love. 

....

## ~Katara~

I may have spiked the eggnog.

In my defense, Gran Gran helped. _And,_ I got some adorable pictures of my idiot brother and his boyfriend cuddling this morning, still hungover and sleepy. 

_Epic_ blackmail material. 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was a labor of love. It took longer than I'd hoped, but it was so worth it. I know it's been a few weeks since I wrote this, but I just made an AO3 so I decided to publish it!
> 
> Your comments/kudos give me life 👀👀👀
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!


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